Recently I saw a Dutch article pop up in my timeline, titled “Managic Anorexic: On the Border of Having and Not Having an Eating Disorder.” Being an anorexic myself, I felt compelled to read it as I was unable to believe that there could be “managing anorexics.”

Guest contribution by Collyn Ahart — 65 kilos. Sixty-fucking-five-kilos. I’ve never weighed this much in my entire life. And of course I’m obsessing about it. I’m supposed to be some sort of athlete. For Christ’s sake, I am given a kit to ride a bicycle. Sometimes even paid. In truth, I’m paid and given a kit to write about riding a bike, not actually ride the thing. But one goes with the other. My success on a bike is a moot point. It doesn’t matter if I cross the line first, or indeed if I cross the line at all. The brands want me to share “the experience.” For quite some time, failure was my MO.

After a few hectic months of completing exams, writing my thesis, doing an internship and ultimately graduating cum laude with my master’s degree, I finally have time to do other things, like reading the Vanity Fair issue of November 2013. It has a feature in it about Jay Z that, surprisingly, changed the way I perceive idols and ideals.

Post navigation

About

Welcome to Beauty Is Not a Number! This website is all about changing perceptions of beauty: how it's not a number, but who we are, how we feel and what we do. It's a journey to discuss these issues, to reflect on our own perceptions and experiences, and to find a balance between the mind and the heart. Learn more.